Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-10-20
The Anarchists.

/
of the condemned anarchists by the
Land and Labor club. of Chicago Al
a meeting last Thursday evening at the
Grand Pacific hotel resolutions were
adopted and these reasons were given
why their wish should be granted:
l. The defendants were tried at a
time of great public excitement by a
jury which confessed strong prejudice
against Anarchists and Socialists. The
| eight defendants were tried together,
and, as much of the evidence offered
against them to prove conspiracy con-
sisted of speeches and statements made
at various times and places, it was al
most impossible for the jury to SO class
ify the evidence as to make each re-
sponsible for his own words and acts.
We believe that among the defendants
were various degrees of moral respon-
sibiIity; that the States Attorney did
not consider them equally guilty, and
the fact. of their being foreigners and
Anarchists had much weight in the
case and that the jury with the States
attorney believed that they were not so
much engaged in determining the guilt
or innocence of the defendants, as in
trying anarchism and law. We do not
think that even the opinion of the Su-
preme court should be taken as con-
elusive in this case. We believe that
judges, like other men, feel the press
ure of public clamor and that the opin
ion rendered in this case contains many
illogical arguments, unjust inferences
and forced conclusions, that the preju-
dice of the court is discernable in their
statement that belief in socialism and
anarchism implies belief in robbery
and murder, and, therefore, jurors who en-
terrain such prejudicies are not compe-
tent to try Anarchists for murder. We
are conscious of the fact that courts
sometimes err, and we believe that the
present case adds one more to the long
long list of opinions in which judges
have sacrificed great principles for wha t
they believed to be an overwhelming
public necessity. While we disclaim be-
lief in socialism or anarchism, we arc
aware of the fact that the definition OF
their doctrines, given by the Court, is
contradicted by all books of authority
and by the lives and teachings of many
good and able men,
2. The greater part of the evidence
against most of the defendants consisted
of their utterances made openly and
VIGOROUSLY in the presence of the pub
lie, with the knowledge and acquies-
cence OF the city officials, aud was re-
peaied and circulated by the city press.
We believe the government should
promptly punish all utterances natur-
ally calculated to produce riot and
bloodShed rather than tolerate aud en-
courage such acts until the happening
of violent deed which may or may
not have been caused thereby, and then
interpret as criminal conduct which at
the time was not considered unlawful
or harmful, and that it is unjust and
not in keeping with good faith to treat
as felouous acts and utterances that
have for years been tolerated, encour-
aged and made light of by the officials
the public and the press.
5. We believe that. as to most of the
defendants, the evidence is wholly in
sufficient to convict them with any con-
spiricy or design to use violence and
force, and SO far as it tends to connect
any of the defendants with such design
it shows that they acted from no mo-
tives of personal gain, but their malice
was directed against existing law and
conditions, and 81 mucA OF their offense
as is proven is of a political nature,
and while we believe that government
should protect itself by Furnishing all
who seek its overthrow by violent
means, we still recognise difference
between the moral guilt Of ono who
uses force for private ends ani one who
acts under a mistaken view of public
good, and we believe the practice Of
extending clemency TO political Offend
ers is both humane and just, and should
be adhered to in this case.
We believe that capital punishment
is unnecessary, barbarous, aud not in
keeping with modern civilization; that
it tends to cheaper the value placed on
life, and to blunt the finer sensibilities
of humaa nature.
The death is announced of Mrs.
Craik (Dinah Maria Muloch), the au-
thoress. She was best known by her
maiden name, Miss Muloch. She was
born at stoke-upon-Trcat, in Stafford
shire, England in 1926. She obtained
literary pension of eco yearin 1864.
Ia 1865 she was married to George
Lille Craik, who died in June of the
following year. She wrote many admir-
able books and acquired wide popu-
larilY Her best known work is John
Halifax, Gentleman written in 1857
Among hel other books may be mentioned
TIE Oghvies," "Oliye," The Head
Of the family "Agatha's Husband"
"A Life for Life "A Woman $
thoughts about Women Studies
from Life" "A Noble Life" and "a
Brave Lady" Her stories all were of
a pure, moral tone aud the pleasure OF
the FIRST reading of them is something
to be remembered. She has also written
some poems the best known of which
ara the sweet ballads Gould you come
back 10 rue. Douglas" Over the hills
and far Away" aud the poem Philip
my King.
The article on Physical Training,
which DR.. Sargent will contribute to
Scribaers for November, will be very
fully illustrated from in Simultaneous pho
tographs of experts in the various bran
ches of athletics. including the portraits
Of sprinters, lacrosse players. long dis